Stay
by TakeBackTheFalls
Summary: After being swept aside for work once again, a lonely Eliza wonders if she really means anything to Hamilton, or anyone. That's when Miss Maria Reynolds walked into her life...
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi guys! This idea came to me last night, where I decided "Maybe I should write about a ship I used to hate!" I used to hate Eliza and Maria as a relationship, or even a friendship, but slowly it grew to me and now I have my own fanfiction about it! Hamilton belongs to Linnamon Roll, please enjoy.**_

"Will that be all, Miss?"

Eliza nodded at the store employee, pouring the bag of berries into her straw basket. The brunette wrapped her poncho tightly over her dress as a cold gust of wind blew over the town. She walked faster than she normally would have, skeptical about leaving her children all alone as she went shopping. Her husband Alexander fled to Boston for work without a heads up, leaving her all alone with a handful of children _again._ The thought of being left behind without more than a wave goodbye just made Elizabeth depressed all over again. That's just what he did. He hardly had time for his family anymore, and if she didn't know any better she'd figure he'd use any excuse not to spend time with his family. Especially his wife.

But no matter, she was used to it. She's never been enough for anyone, not her husband, not her sisters. That was just how the universe worked for her. Just little Eliza in the background, unimportant as usual.

As she made her way to the apple stand, she saw a woman with a scarlet red dress on an ice old bench with her arms wrapped around herself, shivering. Her wavy brown hair was sticking up in all directions, and her quivering lips were purple. Eliza stuck out her bottom lip with sympathy, and walked towards the woman. "You look cold," she observed aloud.

The girl shrugged her shoulders, "Well it's winter, what did you expect?" Her tone was harsh and unwelcoming, but Eliza wasn't going to let that scare her away.

"Why stay out here with no covering? If you stay out here you'll catch a chill." Eliza dropped her basket next to her, pulling off her poncho.

"You don't have to-" The woman protested, but before she could finish her sentence the poncho was already wrapped around her arms. She shifted uncomfortable in the bench. She wasn't used to being treated so kindly by others, "Thanks," she said, her voice faltering.

"My name is Elizabeth Schuyler, but people call me Eliza."

"Maria."

Eliza smiled at her, "You seem nice." She sat down next to the stranger in the scarlet dress, but Maria slid further away from her. Eliza, trying not to take offense by that gesture, decided to stir up some conversation. "I hardly ever go out to the city, I'm a house worker." She felt her cheeks turn pink. Probably as a result of the chilly weather.

"Aren't we all? Just women. Nothing but toys." Maria rolled her eyes at the thought. Eliza looked down sheepishly at her lap, mute. Maria exhaled deeply, the mist from the cold weather floating higher into the air until it disappeared. "My husband's doing me wrong." Maria traced her sleeve with her finger, wincing every time she brushed against a bruise. "Do you have one-" she turned her head over to face her, pausing as she saw Eliza's eyes start to glisten with tears.

"Hey-" Maria whispered, sliding back toward her until their hips were touching. As she said it, she put her hand on Eliza's knee. Eliza was so startled she flinched, nearly falling off the bench. "I'm sorry," Maria's face flushed, "But why must you cry?"

Eliza placed clasped a hand over her mouth, her glistening tears becoming silent sobs that shook her whole body. Maria grabbed her free hand, no longer caring how weird it must've felt for her. Eliza squeezed her eyes shut, multiple tears racing down her porcelain cheeks. Maria wanted to bring her hands to her face and gently wipe the tears away from under her eyes, but she feared that would scare her away. She was Maria's only company in years besides her dreadful domestic partner.

"Shhhhh...don't cry. Everything will be okay, everything is alright..." Maria cooed. She started to feel like she was going to cry herself.

Eliza sniffled, slowly removing her hand from her mouth. She opened her now puffy red eyes. "I'm sorry," managed to choke out between helpless sobs, "It's just-"

"Is it a husband issue?" Maria raised an eyebrow at her.

 _Yes,_ Elizabeth thought mentally, _a husband that's away all the time. And on the rare occasion he is there, he's in a whole other world._ _A husband that is off doing his own thing too often, to the point where occasionally I don't feel like a wife anymore. To the point where I'm used to his absence. The point where I'm used to never being enough._

Eliza's blood suddenly boiled with resentment towards her spouse, as she said these words through gritted teeth. "No. I don't have a husband."

Maria raised her eyebrows, "Really? Someone pretty as you?"

Eliza stiffened, she hadn't even realized she said that out loud. "Uhm, nope. I-I guess not." she tried to hide her guilt with a soft smile, "Guess I'm not a catch."

Maria scoffed, "You totally are. Your beauty should have men crawling on their knees."

Eliza sniffed, trying to still her rattling body from all the crying, "Usually I'm the one that does the crawling."

Maria gave her a sympathetic smile, "Let's get you cleaned up, huh? I have a cozy inn just a couple blocks away. Does that sound nice?"

Eliza stood up eagerly from the bench, her eyes throbbing. Too many tears for just one night. "I'd love that," she admitted, "And we can feast on berries!" she gestured toward her basket.

Maria giggled, "Delicious!" She wrapped Eliza's arm around her's, eagerly leading her down a few blocks until they reached the inn.

Maria jammed the key into her room, Eliza still clinging onto her right arm. As the door opened, the two women tried to walk into the room at the same time, causing a collision in the small door frame. Eliza laughed, "I've never encountered a door so small." But Maria's eyes filled with worry. "Stay behind me." She whispered, pushing Elizabeth behind her as she grabbed the coat hanger by the door, holding it like a bat. She stepped cautiously into the room, checking every inch until she dropped her shoulders with relief. "He's not home yet."

Eliza shuddered, placing her basket of berries on Maria's shelf. "That husband of yours is no joke, huh?"

Maria blinked quickly. She suddenly became very interested in the floor. "Let's not talk about me. I brought you here for you."

Maria pat the bed, "Lay down, silly."

Ordinarily Eliza would've refused, not wanting to be rude, but she could no longer contain her exhaustion. The pale brunette collapsed on her back, exhaling deeply as the mattress hugged her body in all the right places. "I don't know how to express my gratitude."

Maria smirked, "The berries were enough." She popped a few into her mouth before pulling off Eliza's poncho and walking into the bathroom. Elizabeth closed her eyes, causing her eyes to sting once more. She was embarrassed. Showing so much hysterical emotion wasn't ladylike, as her father always told her since she was young. Ladies got thrown into the nut house for such behavior. No tears allowed. She was just grateful Alexander hadn't seen her like this.

She was grateful Alexander wasn't seeing her in another woman's bed.

A cool washcloth brushed against Eliza's cheek, causing her to sprout up and gasp. Maria took a step back, "Sorry, just trying to help."

Eliza's shoulders fell, "I apologize, you frightened me."

She fell back down, letting the mattress catch her. Maria slowly let the washcloth brush her skin again, wiping the skid marks from her tears. Eliza giggled as the wet cloth tickled her skin.

Maria threw the now dirty cloth onto the floor and joined her guest on the bed. She laid on her side to face Eliza, her face now grinning. "That felt nice," she hummed.

Maria sighed, "So talk to me. What upset you?"

Eliza seemed to shrink in Maria's small mattress, her face turning red. "I'm lonesome." It wasn't a complete lie, but she wasn't lonely because she was single. She was lonely because her husband constantly brushed her aside. Maria didn't need to know this, though.

"I understand." Maria pushed herself closer to Elizabeth, "But you don't need a husband to feel happy."

 _Got that right,_ Eliza thought.

"My husband makes me miserable every day of my life," Maria tried to stand upright, but winced as her bruised arms pushed against the mattress. She slowly lowered herself back onto the mattress.

Eliza turned to her side, to the two were facing each other. "I'm sorry," she apologized for the millionth time that day.

"For what?" Maria asked.

"I've been sobbing over being lonesome, but you have it far worse. I should be the one washing your face and giving you the gift of comfort, I'm such a bother." Eliza stood up, ready to storm out of the room in tears when Maria gripped her arm. "Stay..."

Eliza stood still, letting Maria's fingers dance toward her torso, gently pulling her back onto the bed. Eliza, although filled with guilt, didn't fight her touch. She was tired, she didn't want anyone else.

"How do you stay so strong?" Eliza's voice quivered.

"My days and nights are full of tears," There was a smile on Maria's face, but her voice was not happy. Her smile faltered, then faded away.

Eliza brought her hand to Maria's cheek, "You are the bravest woman I've ever met."

Maria Reynolds softly placed a hand on her hand, brushing against it. The two started into each other, both close to tears as they pushed their bodies closer to each other's.

On the usual occasion, Maria was afraid James Reynolds would walk in on her and see. When she was just sitting there doing nothing, she was afraid she'd come in. When she was asleep she was afraid he'd come in. But now, the one time she was doing something she shouldn't have, she wasn't worried. "You can kiss me if you want to." Maria internally winced at her words, fearing she was coming off as too desperate.

Eliza's body tensed, she hadn't expected this. She imagined it, she might've wanted it too, but...to have it happen. To be someone's first choice. Was Maria putting her ABOVE her husband? That never happens.

It took her a moment to realize her body was already leaning in. But she had no more worries left. Usually when she knew she was showing too much emotion, or she was doing something wrong, alarms would go off in her head. But her head wasn't ringing, and the moment was just right. Screw it! Their lips interlocked, and Eliza's hand clutched Maria's cheek even tighter. Her lips were warm like a fireplace, she wanted to do this forever. Whoever her husband was took advantage of her, she was a goddess of kissing. Maria gripped Eliza's hair, getting more passionate with every move. She could feel Maria undoing her hair, probably making it look like a mess. She loved it. Eliza tried to keep up, worried she was being a stick. The pale brunette moved her other arm around her hip. _Gettin' scandalous up in here,_ Eliza thought in a joking manner. She felt bad for Alexander, she never realized until now how much she sucked at making out. Maria didn't seem to mind, she was smiling through their kisses.

They stayed like this for a while, their mouths moving simultaneously as Eliza kept one hand on her cheek and another around her waist. Maria moved her fully dressed body a lot against her blue gown, but Eliza wasn't one for being sexy. She was the quiet simple girl in her family. If any Schuyler was a monster in bed, she had no doubt it would be Angelica.

 _I am a terrible kisser,_ Eliza thought to herself as she traced her thumb along Maria's cheek, _I am a terrible person._

"Stop." Eliza pushed herself back, pulling her hand away from Maria's beautiful face. Eliza could see Maria's heart sink in her expression, and she felt horrible.

"What's wrong?" Maria's voice cracked on the last word. Eliza bit the inside of her lip. She knew Maria was used to being rejected, and she knew how vulnerable the girl was. But she didn't want to give Alexander an excuse to leave her permanently.

"I can't do this." She quickly got off the bed.

"Why not?" Maria followed her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, "Please don't leave me, I am helpless."

"I just can't." Eliza said, her expression cold.

"Yes you can, it's not like you have a husband." Maria said, although saying it out loud it seemed less believable. A gem like this? Single? Elizabeth's stiffening form gave her the answer.

Maria pulled away, angry. "You told me you were single!" She yelled, her voice echoing in the small room.

Eliza's breathing speed increased in panic, "I'm sorry. I just got...I needed...I wanted..." her words blended into each other. She gasped for air. _This can't be happening, this can't be happening._

"You made me believe that..I...ugh! Just go!"

Elizabeth turned around to face her, trying to bring a hand to her soft face again, "I do like you. Don't be upset."

Maria swatted her hand away, then brought her hands to her face, lowering herself at the foot of her bed.

"We have something in common!" Eliza squeaked, "My husband leaves me alone all the time! We both just want comfort, if you could let me inside your heart..."

Maria lowered her hands from her face, as if considering Eliza as worthy. Maria knew she had no place to tell someone not to cheat, it was just the lying part. She didn't want to be just a fling. Maria stood up, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. "I understand, but you have to leave."

"You're still angry." Eliza yelped.

"We'll talk about it later." Maria's hard look made beads of sweat form on Eliza's forehead.

Eliza felt terrible. She widened her eyes and her heart started to pound. Maria walked over to the basket of berries and held them towards her, "Would you like these back?"

Eliza shook her head. She couldn't speak even if she wanted to. So she turned around and tore down the hall as fast as her legs could carry her, purposely leaving her poncho behind.

 _ **A/N: Sorry for any historical inaccuracies, I know ponchos weren't used until the 1850s. I bet you didn't know that though, and I could've totally gotten away with using it in my stories. CRAP, WHY DID I SAY THAT? I BLEW MY OWN COVER! Anyways, I hope you liked it. Sorry about typos, I double checked but somehow I always miss at least one. Feedback will be appreciated, unless no one reads this. I never really read a lot of Hamilton fanfictions, are people still doing that? I'm not along, right?**_


	2. Too Much For You

**_R.I.P_**

 ** _CARRIE FISHER_**

 ** _OCTOBER 21ST 1956- DECEMBER 27TH 2016_**

 ** _MAY THE FORCE BE WITH HER_**

 ** _I know 2016 sucked, but I have high hopes for 2017. I'm dedicating this year to 2017, I'm dedicating it to Carrie Fisher, my idol._**

 _ **Sorry I'm awful, but LOOK AN UPDATE! I don't own Hamilton. There will be typos, I promise :D they always sneak in, I'm sorry!**_

* * *

It took a while for Eliza to fully digest what took place the day before. It all felt like a fuzzy dream she wished she could forget. Her husband was yet to return, but for once he wasn't the first thought in her mind.

It was the pretty girl in the red dress that occupied her thoughts.

"Have mercy," Elizabeth groaned to herself. It was almost time for her lesson with the kids. Would it be wrong to take a sick day off teaching her own children? She shook the thought out of her head, of COURSE it was wrong. These were her children, and she loved teaching and mustn't treat it like a chore.

Still, that scarlet dress, the way it rustled in the winter wind as she led her to her inn.

"Stop it stop it stop it. You have a war hero. This isn't right!"

"Mommy?" Eliza gasped, spinning around to face her child.

"Oh, Angie. You frightened me, is there something wrong?"

"Where's daddy?" Angie's eyes glistened with tears, her voice cracking as she said 'Daddy.' Eliza was furious, Alexander couldn't even put his own children above his work. Work work work.

She took a deep breath, deciding she was being unfair. Everyone has to work, he just wants to make a difference. However, in the back of her mind she wished he'd hurry up and make it already.

Eliza bent down on the kitchen floor and hugged her daughter, "He'll be gone for a while, darling."

Angie pulled away, swiftly crossing her arms. "Why is he always leaving us?"

Eliza wanted to high-five her and scream 'I KNOW RIGHT?' But she had to keep her poise, "People are busy sometimes. When you're as old as your father is, you'll be busy too."

"No I won't," she huffed, "I'll make time for my family!" Angelica Jr. stormed out of the kitchen and into her room, grumbling under her breath.

Eliza flushed. She wanted to do the same thing and follow her upstairs. However, she reminded herself that she was not a child and shouldn't behave in such a manner. "You're a mother, your job is to take care of the children and work in the house." However, Elizabeth's thoughts betrayed her and went back to the mysterious woman in the scarlet dress. The girl that told her women were treated like garbage and are discredited.

The girl she kissed.

Eliza bit her lip, it was time to do what she always did when she was under stress. She would write to her sister.

She snuck into Alexander's office, grabbed his feather, ink, and paper and commenced her letter.

 _My dear sister, Angelica,_

 _I know this letter is probably an inconvenience, as you probably have a lot more important things to do. However, I've felt isolated for weeks now and I fear this lack of communication will be the death of me. My Alexander is away and I did him wrong. The guilt is eating my heart out, but I don't regret what I did. I am unsure of what is wrong with me, but I've been out of sorts. I know that disloyalty is against the book of the Lord, and I hate myself for thinking this; but perhaps it wasn't so bad. You are the prettiest and the wittiest, so I know you would never do something so foolish. But I know that no matter what I do, you'll still love me._

 _I met a woman that reminded me of you, she was brave and believed that women should be treated equally. I think you'll love her a lot, I sure do-_

Eliza winced, no she could say that! Swiftly swinging her slim arms to grab something to wipe the last part of her sentence off with, she spilled the small bottle of ink all over her letter.

"NO!" She brought her hands to her face, "Nonononononono..."

As her hands blocked her vision, the blob of ink grew larger and larger, until it expanded past the letter and all over Hamilton's desk.

"What is wrong with me? This woman has haunted my thoughts. Maria-"

Eliza moved her hands away from her face, "You have no right to whine about Maria. You broke her heart. And once Alexander finds out, you'll break his heart too. Two broken hearts, why must you do everything wrong?" She scolded herself, tears glistening at the edges of her eyes.

"You're a monster," Eliza acknowledged, "Here you are being a baby when there's a another girl who has it even worse than you, and you broke her heart. You lied to her and then ran away."

Tears were now flowing down her cheeks. The mother stood up boldly, banging her leg against Alexander's desk. "Ow...ugh you deserved that. Now, you're going to go back to that inn and make things right." It was the least she could do, she thought, and maybe it'll make her less stressed out and she'll stop talking to herself.

As Eliza wiped her porcelain cheeks, a loud knock on the door made her flinch. No, it wasn't quite a knock, but quick couple of taps. Recollecting herself, she slowly trudged to the door, practicing her false smile.

As she opened the door, she gasped. The blistering cold wind almost knocked her off her feet, along side the brightly-dressed Maria Reynolds. She stood on the other side, her eyes widening as she got a look at the Schuyler Sister.

"Maria?" Elizabeth couldn't think of anything else to say, or what to do with her hands, or why she was sweating so much in the cold, "How did you find-"

"YOU'RE ALEXANDER HAMILTON'S WIFE?" Maria Reynolds raised her voice at her again, startling her the way she did the previous night. It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

She glared at her for a few moments, but when Maria saw Eliza's lip tremble she exhaled deeply.

"I mean...out of all the husbands you could lie about not having, you choose this one," Maria said coldly, lowering the volume of her voice.

"Well I guess I don't have to ask whether you forgive me or not," Eliza looked at the ground, "I'm really...wait...why were you looking for _my_ husband? What are you even doing here? How did you know this was his house?"

It was Maria's turn to look flustered, "Don't change the subject. I don't have to be honest with you if you can't be honest with me."

Eliza's big brown eyes widened, "Don't be difficult. Come inside, it's freezing-"

"I'd rather _not_ , thank you."

"MOMMY, WHO'S AT THE DOOR?" A small voice chirped from inside the kitchen.

"Oh no..." Eliza whispered.

Phillip sprinted to the door, embracing her mother's legs. He took a look at their guest, "Who are you?"

"Oh," Maria gestured to a confused Phillip, "And it looks like you two certainly got BUSY! Another detail you left out, hmmm?"

"What?"

"Never mind Phillip, go upstairs," Eliza pleaded gently, "I'll make you some food soon."

Phillip grinned at the bribe, skipping to his room. Eliza closed the door behind him, she already let too much cold air into their home.

Maria let out an exasperated sigh, "I'll just go."

"Wait."

Maria raised an eyebrow at her.

"Look, I am so sorry about what happened. I was foolish and shouldn't have lied to you. But my husband is..." Eliza faltered, "He's...it's not...no. I'm not going to try and make excuses. I've felt awful about what happened all day, and I can only imagine how you must be feeling at this point of time. Your troubles are larger than mine, I should not have been so selfish."

Eliza shook as she said this, struggling to get the words out, "This is the second time we've seen each other by chance, it must be a sign. If we start over we can have a beautiful relationship," Eliza could feel her face flushing as she said those words, "By relationship, I mean...maybe a friendship. Or maybe, I don't know. Just know that I don't want you to dislike me. I hate it when people dislike me." She mustered up an embarrassed smile at the woman standing opposite of her.

Maria sucked her teeth, "Oh Liza... It's, I feel awful now. I'm sorry for..." She squeezed her eyes shut, "I just feel awful. You didn't mean to inflict any harm. I'm such a-" Maria opened her eyes.

Eliza gave her a smile, reaching out to her, "It's alright-"

Maria backed away, wrapping her arms around herself the blistering cold making her shake. "This can be our closure for now. Goodbye."

"WAIT-"

But the girl in the red dress was already rushing away. Eliza bit her tongue, what did she do wrong? She figured an apology would fix everything, what happened? Maybe Maria was right, maybe it was time for closure.

"Why did you leave?" She whispered into the cool breeze, before stepping inside.

 _ **A:N/ I'm tired so I'm stopping I'm awful at transitions. UgggGGGGH. ANYONE THAT THINKS SNOW WHITE ISN'T A GOOD DISNEY PRINCESS IS GOING TO HAVE TO CATCH THESE HANDS! Just kidding I'm sensitive**_


	3. My Help

**IT DOESN'T BELONG TO ME, OKAY? BELONGS TO LIN**

"MARIA COME BACK HERE!"

Maria's eyes widened, the voice sounded like it was getting closer and closer towards her. She froze, admitting defeat. She could feel her face turning red as the blistering cold settled into her skin.

By the time Eliza reached her, she was panting. Her heavy breathing became visible in the frosty air. "Did you honestly think I would let you walk out? You jest." Eliza was shivering, as she was wearing nothing but her gown and hadn't stopped to put anything on before chasing after this mysterious maiden.

Eliza was entranced by Maria. She usually knew better than to walk into trouble, but when it came to Miss Maria Reynolds she just couldn't stay away. While Eliza sensed Maria saw her as a meddlesome nuisance, it never drove her away. There was something so compelling about her that she didn't want to stay away.

"Listen, don't worry about it," Maria assured her, turning around to face the brunette, "I saw how upset you were over the me blowing up. You shouldn't have lied, but you were being so hard on yourself."

Eliza looked at the sidewalk, bashfully.

"You don't deserve this much stress in your life," Maria continued, "So considerate the incident forgotten." Maria pet her head like she was an animal before turning around to walk away. But before she could move, Eliza put a hand on her shoulder and forcefully turned her around, glaring directly into her eyes.

"Says _you_! You have a jerky husband, yet you pity _me_ for my stress? Ridiculous. I should be kissing your feet and carrying you around, you have it worse-" Elizabeth shook her finger at her, like she was scolding her own child for misbehaving in class.

"But just because _I_ have it worse, doesn't mean your struggles are invalid," Maria managed a smile to calm her. Eliza could tell it wasn't a genuine smile, increasing her persistence.

"But-"

"It's okay, Liza. You have a husband and kids. I'm sure Alexander means well, even if he is aloof."

Eliza squinted, her memories finally recollecting themselves into a complete puzzle, "Yeah...Alex...wait...you said you knew Alexander was here earlier."

"No I didn't." Maria said without missing a beat, her body tensing.

"Yes you did!" Eliza pointed at her accusingly, "Why are you here? What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"There is so! You may think I'm dumb, but I'm not."

"Eliza, don't-"

"I won't let you leave my sight until you tell me what's wrong."

 _"STOP!"_ Maria raised her voice, growing exasperated, "You don't understand! You don't know anything!"

"I will if you told me!" Eliza pouted like a child, crossing her arms. She no longer seemed drawn back by Maria's anger.

"I'm very helpful," Liza continued, "Let me inside your mind, let me inside your h-"

" _Your_ mind must be empty if you think I'm actually going to stand here and talk about my issues. I wanted Alexander to help me out. He's a man of honor, and I needed...never mind. Now you know, and that's all you need to know." Maria shrugged, as if to say _that's it._

Eliza blinked, "You wanted to make love to my husband, didn't you?" Her expression had grown cold, still feeling protective over her absent spouse. A reflex.

"So what? You have no right to be angry, especially since you were crawling in _my_ bed. You have no reason to be upset." Maria shot back defensively.

Eliza's stern stare melted into a look of bashfulness, "You're right. I guess I'm a hypocrite. I care about you a lot. Yesterday was magical, I haven't felt that way in a long time. It doesn't feel the same with my Alexander, but he's still _my_ Alexander. I wish I hadn't betrayed him. It's true I have no right to be upset, but I still do. A little bit."

Maria smirked at her, "Are you breaking up with me?" she teased. Eliza didn't even smile.

"I'm confused about my feelings. But I have to put them aside because you need help," Eliza grabbed Maria's numb shaky hands, "You may have come for Alexander's help, but you're getting mine."

"Elizabeth for the last time, I'm not going to-"

Eliza gently locked her arm around Maria and gave her a bright smile, "Let's go back to my place. We'll fix you up."

 **That one chapter it took you ten seconds to read but took me a while to write, heyyy. I'm sorry**


	4. Scientific Purposes (wink)

_**Hiya! Sorry it took forever to update! But I'm baaaaack!**_

 _ **I don't own Hamilton, and if I did, the professionally filmed version of the show with the original cast would be out by now for all to enjoy! I promise that this chapter is longer and less underwhelming than my last one. So claps for me. There will be typos, I promise (I suck a proof-reading)**_

* * *

After putting the kids to bed, Eliza pulled Maria into her bedroom. At least Eliza called it her bedroom, the place was infested with ink, letters, and documents.

"Doesn't your husband have an office?" Maria shivered, not fully recovered from the blistering winter breeze as she went through Alexander's desk right next to their bed. Not. Romantic.

"His office doesn't have a lot of room, so he brings some things in here," Eliza plopped onto her bed, playing with pieces of her hair.

 _Some?_ Maria scoffed, there was more desk space than bed space. Tearing through papers and documents, she noticed a familiar pattern of ' _Angelica_ ' being written on numerous letters. Maria shook her head slowly, of course this rat was seeing others. Though, it was perplexing how anyone could cheat on Eliza. She was perfect.

"He seems very fond of this Angelica girl," Maria glanced back at her new friend, raising an eyebrow at her.

Eliza brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, unmoved, "That's my sister, and hasn't anyone taught you not to look at other people's letters?"

"Oh, what's this?" Maria picked up another piece of paper " _'My Dearest Angelica'_ oh, this one hasn't been sent yet! And it says Dearest! Does Alexander call you _Dearest_?" Maria asked, like she knew the answer.

Eliza bowed her head, sinking into her mattress, "I had no idea their letters were this-"

"Flirty?" Maria interrupted, "And she's not the only one being a victim of Alexander's flirting. He's also taking a liking of someone named John Laurens, and a-" She squinted at the letter in her hand, "Gilbert...blah blah... Marquis...Lafayette? What kind of a name is that?"

"Don't be silly!" Eliza laughed.

But Maria continued, "Well, no surprise there. Men are slimy. This Angelica, is she prettier than you? Smarter? I've seen this before, he's obviously a jerk." Maria glanced back at Eliza, hoping for a reaction.

Eliza was sitting on the bed, the bed she shared with her husband. She was attempting to warm her hands by pressing them under her legs, impervious to Maria's accusations.

"I trust my sister, Maria," Eliza calmly explained, "She's been with me through thick and thin. She would never hurt me. She's actually kind of a sucker in the sense that she'd do anything for my happiness. I wouldn't dream of her ever trying to go behind my back."

"Ah," Maria continued ripping apart Alexander Hamilton's desk for evidence of affairs, "You trust your sister."

"Yes."

"But do you trust _Alexander_?" Maria smirked, there was no way anyone could have a perfect marriage with a politician. There was no such thing as a perfect marriage. Eliza seemed to sink deeper into the mattress, but narrowed her eyes at Maria.

"This is not about me!" Eliza snapped, "I'm here for you, you know. To help you with your troubles."

"Oh yes, my HUSBAND!" Maria dropped the letters back on Alexander's desk, putting no effort into reorganizing them, "He has no idea how to treat a woman, no man does-"

"Nope, try again," Eliza interrupted, staring at Maria like she was expecting Maria to know why she said that.

Maria blinked, unable to wrap her mind around Eliza's random 'Nope!.' This was Maria's life, what would Eliza know about it? Shooting Eliza a glare, she started to feel resentful towards how Eliza was treating her like a little kid. Eliza stared back, the corners of her lips upturned as if she knew something Maria didn't. Shifting her gaze, Maria noticed that right behind her against the wall was a portrait of Eliza. The artist captured her innocence perfectly, with her rosy cheeks and shiny eyes like some sort of princess. She was sitting, hands folded together on her lap with a small smile. She noticed that the pose of the painting and the pose of the real Eliza's pose were parallel. Maria wondered if she was doing that on purpose, or that was just her natural pose

"What are you talking about?" Maria narrowed her eyes at her.

Eliza gave her a sarcastic shrug, her grin now wider, "Say that sentence again."

Maria's shoulders slumped, was this preschool now?

"He. Has. No. Idea. How. To. Treat. A. Woman," Maria groaned each word painfully slow like a child, "No. Man. Does."

"WRONG!" Eliza cried out like she just won a game of bingo, " _'No man does.'_ Honey, this isn't about every man in the world. Once again you're trying to act like husbands abusing their spouses is normal. It's something I noticed a lot about you. We need to put your problem under a big spectacle."

"Oh," Maria rolled her eyes, "Sorry for being a big idiot then!"

"I don't think you're an idiot," Elizabeth replied patiently, "You don't have to limit yourself to be controlled by him."

Maria crossed her arms, since when was she so judgey? "He doesn't completely control me," Maria defended, "he doesn't know I go out to see you."

Eliza gave her a gentle smile, which Maria took as pitiful, "You shouldn't have to sneak out of your _own_ house to see someone. That's not normal."

Maria suddenly saw Eliza attacking her, rather than helping her, "Well it seems sneaking around is a normal routine in this house!" She rushed back to Alexander's desk, scooping up letters haphazardly, "Your husband and Angelica enjoy sneaking around with their romantic letters right under _your_ nose." She threw the letters up into the air, letting them rain down on her like confetti. "And, were you planning on telling Alexander Hamilton that your lips were pressed against mine while he was away? Would that have come up as a topic of conversation at the dinner table?"

The now steamed Maria Reynolds mimed shoveling food into her mouth, "Yummy! My name is Elizabeth Schuyler and I love eating rich people food with my successful husband!" she mocked in a high squeaky voice, "Yum yum yum! Oh, also I made out with this girl while you were gone, hope you don't mind babe! What was her name again? HMmmm YUM YUM YUM!"

Eliza sat up, her cheeks flushed, becoming a scarlet color, "Don't make me out as a villain as I'm trying to help you!"

Maria knew it wasn't a nice thing to think, but she was surprised Eliza wasn't crying like a little kid. She cursed herself for blowing up, for trying to knock down someone so much stronger than her. While trying to assert power over Eliza, all she did was make herself look like a child, and she hated herself for it. Maria always wanted to repel help, but this was the first time she ever had help offered to her. In fact the only reason she stopped by was so she could have sex with Alexander, and that would've helped nothing!

It was clearly fate that brought Eliza and Maria together, Maria took it as God taking pity on her and deciding that she needed help. It certainly made sense, Eliza did seem too good to be true. She must've been an angel of some sort. Only, what kind of angel would get involved with Alexander Hamilton? What kind of angel would get involved with her?

Maria plopped onto the bed next to her, "I'm sorry. I've just been so grouchy about my husband, I was trying to share the burden. I wanted it to seem like everyone had an awful husband. So I could escape feeling like the only one and feel like less of an idiot for staying."

Eliza smiled at help, embracing her in a warm hug.  
"Don't be sad, Maria," she whispered.

Maria loved the way she said her name, it was like a soft song. All her husband did was bark it, making it sound so awful Maria hated hearing it. Maria sank into the hug, leaning her head against Eliza's chest as Eliza hummed softly in her ear. She decided that Eliza was an angel, she was previously unaware people like this actually existed! Now she was hugging one, and just as she was getting comfortable guilt started rising up again.

"There's something else I have to tell you." Maria admitted, her mouth speaking before her brain fully decided whether or not to tell her. Too late now.

"Hmm?"

Maria couldn't tell if that 'hmm?' was part of her song, or asking what was wrong.

"I told you that I tried to make you feel like Alexander was rotten because I wanted to act like my problems weren't as big of a deal."

"Mmmhm." Eliza confirmed, rubbing Maria's shoulders. Why were her hands so warm? They were just outside in the freezing cold. Maria figured she must've felt warm as ice.

"There's another reason I did that," Maria took a shaky breath, preparing to get kicked out of the hug and thrown off the bed after she spoke. Her brain kept telling her to shut up, but once the gears in her mouth were rolling it was hard to get them to stop.

"What is it?" Eliza whispered, running her fingers through Maria's tangled hair. Or at least attempting to.

"The thing is," Maria exhaled deeply, bracing impact, "Last time you felt jealous over Alexander, we...we kissed. And I wanted that to happen again."

Eliza's arms tensed, but didn't withdraw the hug. The shoulder rubbing and hair playing froze.

"And I know-" Maria blurted out, "I know that was awful and manipulative of me! I shouldn't have tried to do that, I shouldn't have treated your emotions like they were my puppets, but I really hoped-"

"Maria, it's..." Eliza struggled with her words, "That was kind of messed up! But I can understand. Kissing me was kind of therapeutic because of how hurt you were about your husband."

Eliza withdrew the hug, and instantly Maria missed the warmth of her body. Eliza brought her hand to Maria's face, bringing it closer as she planted a kiss on her cheek. Maria's face heated up, all the effects of the winter chills gone.

"That was to make you feel better, you know, cause of your husband," Eliza turned Maria's face, so the two were facing each other. Eliza moved closer, pressing her lips against hers. Just like the first time, except now Eliza was the dominant one.

"Eliza?" It wasn't that Maria wasn't enjoying this, this is what she came here for. It was just eccentric how Eliza was suddenly-

"I'm trying to help you, because your husband is a meanie," Eliza kissed her again, going in deeper the second time. Eliza still an angel kisser, as always, but her kisses became more vehement as she inched closer towards her.

Maria kissed back, admittingly feeling much better. But when she got a breath of air, she gave Eliza a quizzical expression. "Eliza I literally just admitted this was my scheme, I don't deserve-"

"This is for _SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES_ , Maria" Eliza assured, going in for another kiss before she could finish saying Maria, "All for science. For therapy. I take my therapy really seriously and I've included that we should kiss for a while, for science and whatever." Eliza kissed her again, wrapping her arms around Maria's torso.

Maria smirked beneath their kiss, she didn't know Eliza too well, but she could tell when she was full of crap, " _Sureeee_ it is. But don't stop, it's going well."

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 _ **AN:/ THANKS FOR READING :D**_

 _ **Pls leave a comment and follow for SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES. Best therapy session ever.**_


	5. Are Duels Lady-Like?

**Hi guys! New chapter, woo hooooo! Please enjoy! I think I've run out of things to say up here in these bold 'author's note' thingies.**

 **There will be typos, I promise.**

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"Hey, you wanna talk?" Eliza woke up Maria at twelve in the morning to ask the question. Maria moaned with fatigue, but nodded her head. She stretched her arms, revealing the sleeves of a floral nightgown Eliza had given to her. When handing it over, Eliza bragged that she'd sewed it herself, hoping to impress her.

Eliza eagerly offered Maria to spend the night, an offer Maria couldn't imagine refusing. Staying over at the pretty rich girl's house? Who'd say no to that? The two girls seemed to melt in the mattress, so fluffy Maria felt like she was resting on an army of bunnies. She was also curled up to Eliza, which she didn't mind _at all._

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" Eliza asked, worry quivering in her voice.

Maria sighed, hoping she'd be able to avoid talk of the future. When hanging out with Eliza, James felt like an illusion, like he just represented her anxiety and fears and didn't actually exist. But he did, he was real and she was stuck with him.

"I have to go back to my husband."

Eliza protested.

"Sorry, Liza," Maria sighed, "I can't break up with him. He controls the scarce amount of money we actually have. If he gets angry at me I'll be on the streets."

Eliza echoed the sigh, "Ugh, I cannot believe that _jerk_ gets to be with you! How unfair!"

Maria smirked, as if appreciating the unfairness of the situation like it wasn't her own life, "It sucks. All I want is for him to get out of my life."

Eliza sunk in her mattress, she had helped Maria mentally but still failed to get her away from her husband. Maria rolled over, facing away from Eliza to hide her pained expression. Eliza's heart sank, what was the point of making her feel better if the cycle was just going to start all over again? It wasn't enough to kiss her and make her smile, she had to get rid of that nasty man.

For good.

Eliza swiftly sat up in her bed, and like a reflex Maria sat up too.

"I HAVE THE MOST AMAZING IDEA!" Eliza shouted vehemently.

Maria hushed her, an amused smile on her face.

Eliza turned over towards her, she didn't know how to word her plan to make it sound convincing, so she just blurted out the simplified version, "I'll duel him."

"Girls aren't allowed to do that stuff," Maria mumbled like Eliza was nothing but an silly little girl, sinking deeper into her pillow.

Eliza scoffed, "You were the one that taught me that women didn't have to settle inside their little stereotype boxes. Alexander has a gun, my father gave it to him as a gift. I could use it." Eliza put her hand in a fist and stuck out her index finger and thumb, aiming it at Maria and making _'pew pew'_ noises with her mouth.

Maria, while realizing her plan was far fetched, couldn't help but be proud. Before they had met, Eliza would've said _'I could ask Alexander to duel him.'_ She liked to think she was responsible for Eliza's new ideas on women being powerful, or at least some of it. Still, there were some things she needed to address.

"You'd kill someone?"

Eliza almost had to laugh, "Do you live under a rock? Nowadays people hardly kill each other in duels. I'll just do it to give him a good _'back off'_ scare. Then he'll be out of your life with me in his nightmares whenever he blinks, you'll inherit his money and his house, and then we'll go out for lunch every day."

"It's not going to be that easy," Maria smirked with amusement, "Nothing is. Once you challenged him, he'll laugh at you and send you to the nearest lunatic asylum."

"Cause women aren't allowed to even hold guns." Eliza's shoulders slumped.

Maria wrapped her arms around Eliza's shoulders, kissing her neck. "I'm sorry, Liza. I support women holding weapons, but I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

Eliza leaned back, sinking under Maria's touch, "Don't be. Who said that was going to stop me?"

"You're tired," Maria decided, "Do you always randomly wake up after dark to talk about random things?"

"I try to, but Alexander doesn't let me. I actually didn't think I'd get very far in this conversation without being told to shut up."

Maria pulled Elizabeth downwards back on the bed, her arms still firmly wrapped around her, "I love talking to you. But let's do that tomorrow. I need my sleep so I-"

"-so you can wake up early, crawl out the window, and go back to your stupid husband," Eliza grumbled.

"And you'll do the same thing," Maria retorted.

There was a tense moment of silence, before Eliza finally proposed they'd talk about it tomorrow.

Eliza spent the remainder of the night imagining herself hold a gun, Maria's nasty husband cowering in fear and agreeing to leave her alone. Eliza felt powerful just imagining holding a gun, she couldn't dream of how she'd feel holding an actual gun. There was only one way to find out...

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Maria wanted to stay on Eliza's bed forever. Her mattress was like a cloud, unlike the brick textured box she had in her inn. She thought nothing would stir her from this slumber, but when she noticed the warmth of Eliza's body gone, she immediately stood up.

"Liza?" Fatigue still weighing her down, she stumbled out of the room, panic rising in her chest as she tumbled barefoot and half awake into the kitchen. The room greeted her with a fresh plate of eggs on the excessively long marble table (ugh, rich people) and a beaming Eliza.

"Hey, I was just going to wake you. Sorry it's so early in the morning," Eliza apologized in a hushed voice.

Maria looked around, and sure enough the nearest window revealed a shy rising sun, the world around it still dim. She hadn't even realized it until pointed out.

"I didn't want any of the little ones around, and since you're insistent on leaving so early," Eliza said this with a growl of annoyance, desperately wanting her to stay, "I wanted to spend time with you before the children wake up."

Maria widened her eyes at the plate, golden eggs with steam arising from it instead of left over mush at the inn? Was this a dream?

Maria was so in awe, she was indecisive on what to say. Hesitantly, like it was a bear trap, she walked towards the single chair at the very end of the table where the plate was located. Eliza sat on the table, right in front of her plate. Maria gazed at her, as if asking for approval. Maria took Eliza's smile as a cue and began the greatest meal of her life. On the normal occasion, Maria wolfed down her meal as if at any moment it would get snatched. But this time, she savored every bite and let her taste buds get aroused by the flavor.

"So..." Eliza began slyly, "I was still thinking about that whole duel thing. Does James obtain a rifle?"

"Yes," Maria spoke between bites, her voice muffled by the food she hadn't swallowed.

"Really?" Eliza widened her eyebrows, "I didn't know poor people-"

When she saw Maria narrow her eyes at her, Eliza instantly rose her hands to her mouth, "I am so sorry. That was really obnoxious of me. It's just I hate your husband so much I was trying to insult him, but it just made me sound spoiled and-"

"It's fine," Maria waved it off, "I know you're not used to being mean, don't worry about it," Maria swallowed a mouth full, "And about the gun thing, my husband does not mess around with his rifle."

Eliza's smile stayed plaster on her face, obviously not discouraged by Maria's warning, "I don't mess around either."

Maria took it all as a joke, surely Eliza was too kind to aim a rifle at someone. Still, the act amused her, and Maria decided to play along.

"I thought no one ever shoots during duels?" Maria ventured, stuffing more of Eliza's eggs into her mouth to obey her stomach's demands.

"They don't, but you can never be too sure. Alexander says to aim your weapon in the air to show peace." Eliza responded like a proud child.

"I just don't want you getting hurt," Maria explained, her plate now clean. Looking down, her mind begged herself to stay a while longer, maybe disappear for ever and leave James wifeless. But she was a logical person, Alexander won't be gone forever, and Maria's slim level of confidence will be dragging her out the door and back into her husband's grasp. "I should be going now so he sees me there when he wakes up."

"Speaking of getting hurt," Eliza grumbled, her eyes growing misty as she looked away. Maria smiled, standing up to walk towards her host.

"I'll spend the night tomorrow too, okay?" Maria puckered her lips towards Eliza. Eliza rolled her eyes, but couldn't refuse the offer for a kiss.

With a heavy heart, Eliza watched Maria quickly slip into her bedroom wearing Eliza's floral night gown, and come back wearing her red scarlet dress. When Maria emerged from the changing room, she dashed out the door without even a goodbye.

Eliza ventured outside, watching Maria's frame get smaller and smaller as she sprinted back to her inn. Eliza would've offered her a ride in the carriage, guess she was in that much of a hurry. Once Maria's body had completely disappeared into the frosty air, Eliza stepped bare feet into the snow, wincing at the cold touch that numbed her toes. However, she kept walking through the front yard into Alexander's shed, where he kept everything no one was allowed to touch. But Eliza always did, she owned this house what did he expect?

The inside of the shed was colder than the outside, but seeing Hamilton's gun on the wall warmed her up. She carefully placed it into her hand, before walking outside and aiming the rifle at the sky. She felt indestructible, like those paintings of male war heroes that littered the town, staring at the sky with a gun tightly in their hand. There were no paintings of that of women, she wondered if she could get someone to take a picture posed like this. The men would faint at the sight of her holding a weapon, and the thought made her feel giddy. However, her giddiness evaporated into worry as she realized the severity of holding a weapon.

Her heart hammered in her chest. What if she hurt someone? What if she woke the kids? What if-

Eliza exhaled deeply, closing her eyes and imagining the pain Maria's husband had her go through.

 _One shot, just one shot! Don't be a baby._

The anger warming her body up, Eliza closed her eyes and fired the weapon.

The gunshot's impact sent her backwards. The noise caused an army of birds to flee their evergreen tree in terror. Her body shook, with either terror of what she had done or excitement of her new-found power.

A smile stretched upon her face as the rifle grew warmer in her hand.

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, byeeee.**


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